Future Scope of Diesel Propulsion for Merchant Marine

Since the 1973 petroleum crisis, marine diesel engine designers had to cope with the new world market requirements that is to say lower overall transportation cost and consequently: reduced fuel consumption, low maintenance cost, capability to burn the cheapest available fuel and improved reliability. These criteria and specially the two last, are more or less in contradiction. The paper enlights how, thanks to strong research and development strengths, this goal has been achieved taking as examples the SEMT PIELSTICK four stroke medium speed engines:

• Their specific fuel consumption is below 120 g/HP.hour,
• They use a Recovery Power Turbine (compound engine) enlarging their range at high torque and reduced speed,
• They keep their high heat recovery capability,
• They allow to make freely the best choice of the propeller speed.

As soon as the installation (heating, purifying, filtration and water emulsification processes) are all right, they can burn the cheapest heavy fuel available on the market.